Machine for thinning cotton-plants.



No. 880,003. PATEN-TED- FEB. 25

0. R. BEUSSE & M. P. JACKSON. MACHINE FOR THINNING COTTON PLANTS.

APPLIOATIOKIILED JUNE 27,1907.

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OSCAR R. BEUSSE AND MARK PIERRE .TAGKSoN, OF MONTEZUMA, GEORGIA.

MACHINE FOR THINNING COTTON-PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed June 27 1907- $erial No. 381.156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OSCAR R. BEUssE and MARK P. JACKSON, both ofMontezuma, Macon county, State of Georgia, have in vented certain newand useful Improvements in Machines for Thinning Cotton- Plants; and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in machines for thinning young cottonplants, and is designed to take the place of what is ordinarily termedcotton choppers; the special object of the invention is to provide aneffective and suitable means whereby the entire plant can at intervalsbe stamped, thus insuring their destruction while preserving thesymmetry of the rows, and without injury to the remaining or selectedplants.

The invention in brief comprises a stamp mounted on a frame and shapedto be drawn along the rows, and the frame is provided with means foractuating the stamp at desired intervals so that at each operation thestamp has to crush a certain number of plants in the rows, and thefrequency of these operations to determine the number of plants leftstanding in the row.

We will now explain the invention in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate a view of the invention embodying theinvention and which will enable those skilled in the art to use thesame.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a side view of the complete machine. Fig. 2is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the latch holding thehammer raised. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a riding machine. Fig. 5 is asection on line 5 -5, of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view of modifiedform of stamper.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a stamp 1connected to a vertically movable shaft 1 which is guided in a verticalopening in a beam 4 of the main frame which approximately resembles acultivator frame. The stamp is normally upheld by means of an expansionspring 1 interposed between the beam 4 and the head 1 of the shaft 1 Thestamp is adapted to be struck by a hammer 2 which may be weighted asdesired and which is mounted on the end of lever 2 pivoted at 2 on thebeam 4 and which may be provided with a contractile spring 2 connectedto the lever 2 in advance of the pivot 2 and to the beam 4 so that whenthe hammer is raised the spring 2' is put under tension. The hammer israised by means of a bull-wheel 3 which is mounted on a shaft 3 journaled in side members 4 of the main frame which are attached at theforward ends to beam 4. see Fig. 2, and the wheel is provided with pins3 which may be bolted thereto at regular intervals apart and which areadapted to successively contact with the rear end of lever 2 and topress the latter as indicated in Fig. 1 as the machine moves forward andthus each pin 3 will engage and lift the hammer as soon as the pindisengages the beam the hammer drops by gravity and the action of spring2 and strikes the head 1 and drives the stamp downward sufficiently tocrush the young plants thereunder, the spring 1 being too weak to resistthe blow of the hammer but yet sufliciently strong to lift the stampafter the blow has been struck. Obviously by varying the distance atwhich the pins are set relatively to each other the number of blowsstruck by the hammer for each rotation of the wheel can be regulated anddetermined.

If at any time it should be desired to throw the hammer out of operationthe operator can throw catch 5 into operation by pulling the catch-lever5 which is connected to catch 5 by a rod 5 catch 5 being pivoted on theframe adjacent the rear end of lever 2 and in such a position that whenthe lever is fully depressed catch 5 can be caused to engage thestop-lug attached to the rear end of the lever and hold the hammerlifted. When the operator releases the lever 5 the spring 5 or the latchand segment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, can hold the catch out of operativeposition.

The device may be provided with cultivators 6 which are attached to thebeam 4 in the rear of the stamp 1 and may be of any desiredconstruction.

For working in some kind of material it may be desired to provide thestamp with guides or studs on its under side, as shown at 1 in Fig. 6,and when these are used we prefer to provide devices for cleaning thefingers of rubbish or dirt adhering thereto, for example, as shown inFig. 6, a perforated plate or guard 1 could be arranged below the stampand secured to the beam 4 by hangers 1 If it is desired to make a ridingmachine, the shaft of the bull-wheel 3 could be eX- tended to carry thewheels 7, (see Fig. 4), and the frame correspondingly widened andprovided with a seat 4 The construction and operation of the partshowever, are substantially as described.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a cotton row thinning machine, the combination of a frame, ayielding stamp mounted thereon, and an automatically. and intermittentlyoperated hammer adapted to deliver blows upon the head of said stamp,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cotton thinning machine, the combination of a frame, a springcontrolled stamp mounted thereon; with means for actuating the stamp byimpact at predetermined intervals, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a cotton plant thinning machine, of a suitableframe having a bull-wheel mounted thereon; with a pivoted hammer adaptedto be automatically operated by said wheel, and a yielding stamp adaptedto receive blows from the hammer,

'all substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a cotton thinning machine, the combination of a frame, a yieldablestampmounted thereon, a pivoted spring actuated hammer mounted on saidframe and adapted to actuate the stamp at predetermined intervals, andmeans for throwing the hammer into or out of operation.

5. In a cotton thinning machine, a frame, a stamp mounted thereon, apivoted spring actuated hammer, in combination with a wheel providedwith pins secured at intervals on the face thereof for engagement of thehammer lever, whereby when the hammer is raised the spring is put undertension, and when released from engagement with the pins'the stampreceives the impact of the hammer.

6. In a cotton thinner, the combination of the main frame, a verticallymovable stamp mounted on said frame, a hammer adapted to contact saidstamp, and means for raising the hammer from normal to strikingposition, a spring for limiting the movement of said hammer, and aspring for returning the hammer to normal position, a wheel at the rearof said frame, and provided with means for engaging the end of thehammer lever for lifting the hammer.

7. In a cotton thinner, the combination of the frame, a stamp on theouter end of said frame and vertically movable therein, an eX- pansionspring for normally upholding said .stamp, a pivoted lever on said frameprovided with a weighted hammer, a contractile spring connected to saidframe and lever whereby when the hammer is raised the spring is putunder tension, a wheel in rear of said frame provided with'pins atintervals adapted to successively contact with the rear end of saidlever and raise the hammer as the machine is moved forward, and meansfor throwing the hammer out of operation.

8. In acotton thinner, the combination of the main frame, a verticallymovable stamp mounted on said frame, guides on the under side of saidstamp and a guard for cleaning the fingers of said stamp guides; ahammer adapted to contact said stamp, and means for raising the hammerfrom normal to striking position; a spring for'limiting the movement ofsaid hammer, and a spring for returning the hammer to normal position; awheel mounted on the rear of said frame and provided with meansfor-engaging the end of the hammer lever for gradually lifting thehammer; a catch and catch-lever adjacent the rearend of the main framefor throwing the hammer into or out of operation.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we afIiX oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR R. BEUSSE. 7 MARK PIERRE JACKSON.

In presence of T. W. OLIVER, Jr., JACK C. REDDroK.

